Improvement in hay-spreaders



'fllt-lied Stairs JOSEPH A. 'rALPEY, or SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 91,790, dated. .Tame 22, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN AY-SPREADERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent andmaking part-of the same. Y

\ reference being had to the accompanying` drawing, in

whichy Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hay-spreading machine, made in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse section of the axle detached, representiiigmoi'e clearly the manner in which the spreading-teeth are operated.

My invention has relation to'thp construction and arrangement of the teeth or forks of hay-spreading machines, as well as of the mechanism for operating such forks; and its object is to produce a machine of. much less complicated structure, and in which the parts necessary to render it operative are fewer and less liable to be injured than has heretofore beenpracticable; and a further object is to prevent the hay from being carried over the machine by the revolving forks, a defect which is noticeable in ordinary machines of this class. v

To this end the principal features of myinventiou maybe stated as follows:

First, the combination, with the axle or revolving fork-head, of a series of forks, each pivoted or swinging upon an arm projecting from said hcad,'andfpro vided with an upper end, which, at a certain time, during the revolution of ,the fork-head, is brought iu contact with a cam-pin, or its-equivalent, upon the frame, in the manner hereinafter described, whereby each fork, as it passes its stationary pin, has irst an upward movement given it, So as to toss or flirt up the hay, and then drops so as to allow the hay to escape,- and not be carried with it over the machine.

Second, constructing each fork of a continuous piece of metal, bentso as to form the two tines, the eyes or sockets for receiving the piu or pivot on which the fork swings, and the curved upper end, which bears against the arm on which the fork is hung, while the teeth are gathering up the hay, and is operated by the stationary cam-pin, to produce the flirting or tossing ,of the hay, as above described.

rlDhird, the combination, with the axle, which also constitutes the forlohead', 'and the pinions fixed upon its ends, of wheels mounted upon said axle, and carrying eccentric gears, meshing with the pinions fixed upon the axle, .and^of larger sizethan said pinions, so as to yimpart tothe same, during the revolution of the wheels, a rotary movement, the velocity of which, in excess of that of the wheels, is governed by the relative proportions of the pinions and eccentric drivinggears, as hereinafter explained.

Fourth, the employment, in connection with the eccentric gears, on the wheels of the machine, of ratchcts and pawls, combined with'said gears, as hereiuafter described, so that when-'the wheels move forward, the gears shall drive and rotate the axle, and when the wheels are moved backward, Shall revolve freely around the axle, without rotating it.

These and other features of my invention will be fully, understood by'reference to the accompanying drawings.

A is the axlejand fork-head, upon which the frame B is supported, by bearings a, in which the axle is free to turn.

Upon the outer ends ofthe axle are mounted the wheels G, upon which the machine runs.

To theends of the axle, which project beyond the wheels, are keyed pinions D, and mounted eccentrically upon the face of the wheels, so as to revolve independently of the same, and to meshwith the axle pinions, are the larger gears E, whose `size is governed by the rate of speed of rotation to be,imparted' to the axle in excess of that ofthe wheels.

Th ns the axle, while supportingthe wheels,fis caused to move, by a positive mechanism, in a direction contrary to that in which the wheels move, and with av speed which is greater than that of the-wheels, and increases in proportion as the size of the driving-gear exceedsV that of the pinions.

By providing 'a number of gears, E, of varying sizes, and forming sockets for their journals 'or axes, at proportionate distances from the centre of the wheel, it will be seen. that by applying a gear of the desired size, any required rate of rotation can be given the axle, and this rate can at any time be changed by changing the gear.

As shown in the drawings, each set of gears and pinions is located on the outer face of the wheel, but their position can be shifted to the inner face without trouble.

In order to rotate the axle only, when the machine moves forward, I Secure on the hubs, c, of thc gears, ratchet-wheels b, and upon the same hubs, or upon thejournals ofthe gears, are loosely mounted pawls or clicks, c, which engage with the teethof the ratchets,\vhen the wheels move forward, but ride over the teeth when the movement of the machine is reversed.

The pawls in this instance are fastened to rods d, which loosely tit upon the hub or journal c, and are arranged-so that their forward ends will rest in and play through slotsformed in the front bar fof the frame of the machine. 4

Each pawl, c, may be held toits place by a spring, ,or, as shown iu the drawings, 'may itself constitute also a Spring for the purpose; and I prefer to pivot it to the rod d at g, so that it may be turned entirely aside from the ratchetwheel, when desired, thus allowing the machine to move forward without rotating the forkhead, which is essential when going to or returning from they lfield.

From the above description of the driving-mechan-l ism, its operation will be understood without further explanation, and I therefore pass to the description fecting the character of niyiinvention.

f Upon each ofthe arms is hung a` fork, G, by means f uffa pin or pins, 71, above which .the upper end of the fork extends some distance.

In proximity to each set of forks is placed a pin or bar, i, or its equivalent for the purpose, which, while "not interfering with the rotation of the axle and forks,

is so arranged that as each fork of the set co'm'es down imposition te take up the hay, its upper end,'K, which projects a suitable distance from the side of the arm F, will strike against the pin, as shown at l in iig. 2. As the fork-head continues to revolve, the upper end of the fork is caught under the pin and depressed, as

seen at 2, g. 2, thus tilting or throwing up the tines ofthe fork, and tossing the hay.

Finally, the `fork-head, inits revolution, carries up the fork far enough to allowthe upper end to clear 'the pin, when the tines will drop downward, until the upper endstrikes against the radial arm F, as shown at 3, iig. 1, thus throwing off the hay, or allowing it to drop, and preventing its being carried over the ma chine.

The .forks continue their revolution, and are again brought successively in position, to toss and spread the hay, as above described. 4. I preferto make each fork, as shown in the draw-A ing, of a continuous piece of wire, which is bent soA as to form the tines m, the'eyes'or sockets n, and the upper end K,the latter being bent so as to engage with the pin or tilting-device t', and to form a firm bearing, which, when the fork is not acted on bythe pin fi, will fit against the arm F.

The projecting loop-part of the end K also is adapted tostrike against the end of the radial arm F, thus preventing the fork from falling too far as it turns over.

While I prefer to give the'forks this form, it is manifest, however, that their construction may be varied considerably, all that is necessary, being that their upper ends should be so made as to'bear against the arms F, and engagc'with the'pins fi, at the proper time.

Having now described my invention, and the man` ner in which the same is or ma-y be carried into effect,

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters 'Patent, is

i 1.v The combination, with the revolving fork-head andthe series of pivoted or swinging forks which it carries, of a corresponding series of tilting-pins, 0r their equivalent, under the arrangement described, so that the tines of' each fork sha-ll', as they takeup the hay, be elevated by said tilting-derice, and after having tossed vthe hay,shall, by the disengagement of the fork from the tilting-device, be free to drop, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The construction of the forks in the form herein shown and specified.

3. The combination', with the revolving axle and fork-head,-and pinions which -it can-ies, of wheels mounted on said axle, and eccentric gears pivoted to' said wheels, underthe arrangement, and for operation as set forth.

4. The combination, with the drivinggear, mounted f eccentrically on the face ofthe wheel, and ratchet connected with the same, of the pivoted pawhand its supporting-rod, iitting uponA the axis of -the gear, and supported in the frame of the machine, as and 'for the purposes specified. e

5. The combination of theconibined axle and forkhead, the frame with which it` is connected, the pivoted forks and their tilting-pins, and the mechanism for rotating said axle under the arrangement and for operation as set for'th. i

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to tbisspe'cification, before two subscribing witnesses.

" JOSEPH A. TALPEY.

AWitnesses:

. SELWIN Z. BOWMAN, BENJ. H. Ciminna. 

